A tape feeder is known as an electronic part supply device in a parts mounting system. This tape feeder pitch feeds a carrier tape which holds an electronic part thereon to thereby supply the electronic part to a part absorbing position where the electronic part is absorbed by a mounting head of a part mounting mechanism. As a method for keeping parts supplied continuously without interrupting the mounting operation in the tape feeder, a tape splicing method is conventionally used in which a new following carrier tape (a following tape) is spliced to a trailing end portion of a preceding carrier tape (a preceding tape) which has already been inserted in the tape feeder. In this tape splicing method, an operator needs to perform a complex and troublesome operation every time supply reels are replaced, and therefore, it has been desired to reduce this work load. This desire has resulted in the adoption of a splicing-less type, as a new tape supplying method, tape feeder in which a following tape can be set in the tape feeder without performing the tape splicing operation (refer, for example, to Patent document 1).
In the related art tape feeder described in the patent document described above, a tape feeding mechanism is disposed at a tape inserting portion which is provided at a rear end portion of the tape feeder. This tape feeding mechanism includes a sprocket with feeding pins which engage with feeding perforations in a carrier tape and a biasing means for biasing a carrier tape against the sprocket, whereby the sprocket is driven to rotate to feed the carrier tape. Then, in supplying a following tape in the tape feeder, a leading end portion of the following tape is inserted between the preceding tape which is in engagement with the sprocket and the biasing means, whereby the following tape is fed together with the preceding tape as the preceding tape is fed. Then, as a trailing end portion of the preceding tape passes through the sprocket, the following tape is brought into engagement with the sprocket so that the following tape can be fed to a downstream side.